Flush-tank siphon.



P. BALZE.

FLUSH TANK SIPHON.

APPLICATION HLED APR. 15. 1914.

Patented Mar. 28,1916.

,4 TTORNEYS TE s FLUSH-TANK SIPHON.

tion. 7

I features of advantage over all previous de This invention relates to plumbing, and has particular reference to fiushtanks for closet bowls of the nature set forth in my previouspatent, dated March 17, 191 1, No. 1,090,189. 7

'Among the objects, of this present inven tion is to provide certain features of novelty whereby the siphon starter possesses several vices of a similar character. More definitely stated, one of the objects is to so arrange the siphon breaking tube as to cause the air to be admitted into the siphon in such a manner as to render the action of the flush tank practically noiseless when designed either as a low-down or a high tank. j i The foregoing and other objects of the invention will hereinafter be more fully described and claimed and illustrated in the drawings forming a part of this specification in which like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views, and in which 1:

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of a portion of a flush tank having my im provements shown therein; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the spud and adjacent part of the casing; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the vane detached; Fig. 4E is a verticalsection of a modification on the line 4-4 of Fig. 5; Fig. 5 is a View of the same on the line 55 of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a sectional detail on the line 66 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section on the line 77 ofFig. 3, showing the relative positions of the-parts of the vane while the vane is passing downwardly through the water. i

The several parts of the device may be made of any suitable materials, and the relative sizes and proportions, as well as the general design of the mechanism, may be varied to a considerable extent without departing from the spirit of the invention hereinafter more fully set forth and specifically claimedi Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 28, 1916.

lipplication filed April 15, 1914. Serial No. 831,988.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, I show at 10 a flush tank adapted to be filled automatically by any approved means (not shown) and provided with an outlet spud 11 leading toward the bowl or the like. Within the tank 10 is a siphon comprising a cas1ng 12 having a dome 13 of peculiar construction and provided with a vertical partition 14 forming, in connection with the dome 13, the two legs of the siphon. For the purpose of clearness of description and to identify the several parts of the casing or siphon structure, the up and down legs may be regarded as having their upper ends terminating at the level of the upper edge of the wall 14: and consequently the dome 13 may be described as having its bottom coinciding with the horizontal plane of the upper edge of the wall and the upper ends of the up and down legs.

At 15 I show an air tube extending from its lower end at a point sufliciently far above the bottom of the tank to initiate the breaking of the siphon at a time to stop the siphonic action within the bowl while there yet remains a suflicient quantity of water in the lower part of the tank to refill or reseal the bowl, making it unnecessary to provide any auxiliary refilling means, such as are commonly used in connection with the inlet pipe to refill the bowl. Said pipe 15 being of a very small caliber comparatively breaks the siphon gradually, that is to say, after the siphonic action is retarded in the tank, the action in the bowl is stopped, but the water continues to flow through the siphon in the tank at a slower speed until the tank is emptied to any desired depth, depending upon the height of the air tube inlet, but preferably prior to the unsealin'g of the lower end of the up leg of the siphon.

As in my previous patent, the upper end or edge 14: of the partition 14: is preferably horizontal and straight whereby the water flows thereover initially in a thin sheet which falls or flows down the open face of the partition, striking upon a shelf or ledge 16 at the top of the spud, whence it splashes across the center of the spud, excluding the air and insuring the proper starting of the siphonic action even though the vane 17 may be operated slowly, or the water level be considerably below the level of the top of the partition. As indicated in Fig. 5, the

' side walls of the casing 12 to which the vertical edges of the partition 14 are connected are substantially parallel, but, as viewed at right angles as shown in Fig. 4, the dome 13 has a swell or radial enlargement as indicated at 13 whereby a freer flow of the water, when the siphon is operating at its full capacity, is obtained.

The vane 17 above referred to is provided with a horizontal axis 18 jou'rnaled inears l9 and 20 on opposite sides of the spud. The ear 20 is closed and the adjacent end of the shaft or axis 18 is introduced thereinto from one side while the opposite end of the shaft or axis is inserted through the opening 19' leading to the bearing ear 19 where it may be locked by a pin 21. The axis l8of the vane terminates in a crank 22 to which the operating connections may be attached for swinging the vane upwardly around its axis 18. The bottom of the casing 12 but for the vane is normally open and is provided with side flanges 12 upon which the side edges of the vane rest when the vane is down, as shown in Figs. land 6. The vane is provided with a slight concavity 17 which retains a small portion of water and thereby is restored to normal position with promptness after the operation of the siphon. While the vane does not fit the sides of the casing with particular nicety, there is slight space betweenthe edges of the vane and the side walls of the casing. Hence, I provide an opening 23 formed at the lower point of the casing through which the water may enter the interior of the casing after the vane returns to normal position. While the provision of the horizontal ledge 14: and the shelf 16 insures a satisfactory operation of the device in ordinary practice, it is possi- 'ble for the vane to be moved soextremely slowly, that the'siphonic action will not be initiated. In such a case, if the vane-were solid or imperforate, the vane would gravitate downwardly through the water at a slow. speed which would require a long time comparatively for it to be restored to a position where it would operate in the manner intended for it on a quicker movement of the operating connections. I, therefore, providea valve 24 normally covering a large central opening through the vane. The valve is pivoted on a transverse pivot 25 and its swinging movement with respect to the vane is limited by a cross pin or bar 26, as shown in Fig. 7. Under ordinary operations, the valve 24 does not swing on its pivot but is held closed on the upward sweep of the vane by the weight of the water above the vane, and when the vane swings downwardly, the valve likewise gravitates with the vane and under normal conditions is held closed by the water flowing back from the short leg when the siphon breaks.

For the purpose of breaking the siphon gradually, the pipe may'deliver air anywhere in the dome l3, butas a result of much study and many experiments I have discovered thatby extending the pipe,-as shown at 15, so as to deliver the air adjacent the edge 14 of thepartition 14:, or outside the body of water flowing over said edge, there is practically nogurgling or snorting soundresulting from the admission'of air into the tube and mixing with the water. The tube 15, therefore, may be extended into the dome in any direction, and as shown in Figs. 4- and5 the pipe 15' leads into the dome from the side or substantially in the planeof' the partition 14, opening at the point 15 beneath an overhanging lip 14 directly adjacent the end ofthe edge, but as stated above, outside of and below the current of water. When the water flows over the ledge 14' or 'lip le inthe normal operation of the siphon, the flow of Water being most rapid at the circumference, permits the formation of a substantially un snorting or gurglingsound, due to the air 1' entering the water directly and mixing therewith, is avoided. The air pocket remains practically unbroken and increases in sizeas the admission of air continues, with a corresponding diminutionofvolume in the flow ofwater through the siphon, until, the flow ofwater ceases due to the increase in volume of the air pocket in the down leg,

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new'and desire tov secure by Letters Patent: I

1.' The herein described flush tank siphon comprising a casing including up and down siphon legs and a curved dome connecting them, means to start the flow of water through the casing to initiate the siphonic action, and means to introduce air directly into that portion of the down leg closest to the center of curvature of said dome.

2. In a flush tank, the combination of a.

siphon having up and down legs, and means to deliver air directly into the upper endof the down leg on the side thereof nearestthe up leg.

3. In flush tank siphon, the combination a casing having a substantially vertical wall therein forming on opposite sides thereof up and down legs, a curved dome leading air pipe leading from the outside of the the dome from one leg to the other, and an name to this specification in the presence of tWo subscnbmg witnesses.

casing through the dome at a point above PAUL B ALZE the levelcof the Wall and across the down leg to a point adjacent said well edge, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my Witnesses CHARLES HARBER, GEO. L. BEELER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G. 

